A Hero Stands Alone
by TheNameIsErronBlack
Summary: Bound by the code of friendship, Starfire vows to help Raven muster the courage to confront Beast Boy about her feelings for him. BBxRae
1. Chapter 1

"Since when do you watch the news?"

"Hey, I like to keep up to date with stuff. Besides, Anderson Cooper is the man."

As was often the case, Raven's reading session was brought to an abrupt end by Beast Boy's desire to watch television. Strangely, however, he had opted to watch a nightly news program in favor of a mindless action movie or an eye-roll-worthy police procedural.

" _The international criminal Vandal Savage was taken into federal custody last night after a confrontation in Washington D.C. with The Green Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. Coinciding with his arrest is evidence indicating that Savage's criminal activity extends as far back as the sixth century and perhaps even further…"_ The screen flashed an image of the three superheroes escorting a handcuffed Savage along with a variety of police officers. Beast Boy sighed contently.

"I didn't know Vandal Savage was your type." She nonchalantly mused as she returned to her book.

Beast Boy, completely unhindered by Raven's verbal jab, rested his hand on his chin and looked out toward the horizon. "Do you think Robin would give me Supergirl's phone number?"

Using her peripheral vision, Raven looked over at her green-skinned teammate. It was difficult to place into words, but something about Beast Boy's query made her muscles tense up and her back arch independent of her own willpower. Why would she care if Beast Boy carried a flame for their comrade-in-arms? To take her mind off that, she did what she always did to deflect uncomfortable emotions about Beast Boy: insult him. "First: he would never do that. Second: you would have a better chance with the Green Arrow than with her." Satisfied, she returned to her book.

"I'm telling you, Raven, once she gets to know me, she'll be in looooove."

Raven found nothing surprising with this revelation. Millions of men and women across the planet were in love with Supergirl. (One could find a wide variety of "special Kryptonian attraction pheromones" on the internet) It was only natural given that she was a superhero who also looked like a model with a smile that radiated sunshine. She was tall, gorgeous, beloved by the public, and appeared on magazine covers, whereas Raven was a homely, demure ice queen who made children cower in fear. Besides, half of her interactions with Beast Boy involved her deriding his intelligence or lack of social skills. That was a sure fire way to get a guy to like you.

"I smell food." Beast Boy hurled himself over the end of the couch towards the communal dining area, forcing Raven out of her self-imposed gloom. Perhaps a good meal would help take her mind off things.

* * *

"So this Savage guy is over three thousand years old? How does he even move around without the world's most expensive walking cane?"

"His body was exposed to a unique type of radiation from a meteor that made him completely immune from aging."

"That's a little ridiculous."

"Any more so than humans who can run and fly faster than light?

"Point taken."

"I believe Mister Savage was rather photogenic for a man of such extensive age. I would greatly appreciate knowledge of his preferred brand of skin cream."

Robin had been explaining the origins of Vandal Savage's powers to Cyborg and Starfire. Raven thought, all things considered, that his powers weren't particularly outlandish, so she paid no great mind to the conversation.

"Rob, do you think you could give me Supergirl's digits?"

Robin arched an eyebrow at Beast Boy's query. "Excuse me?"

Beast Boy toyed around with his fork, obviously a bit nervous about discussing the object of his affection. "Well, you're best buds with the Big Guy, he's best buds with the Big Cheese, and he's best buds with Supergirl, so, by extension, that would make you best buds with Supergirl. So she would be totally cool if you, you know, greased the wheels a little bit."

"I prefer not having all my bones broken, so I'm going to say no."

Beast Boy shrugged in response, clearly undeterred. "Fine. If you want to keep true love apart, suit yours-"

Though he was often accused of being empty-headed, Beast Boy's reflexes were actually extremely adept after years of superheroics, a fact proven as he was able to dodge his plate which Raven hurled at him. "Guys! I think my plate is sentient! And it's trying to kill me!"

"Man, you are a strange child. Sentient plates? Seriously?"

"Can you come up with a better explanat-"

Raven shuffled in her chair. Though her mind had been wandering during Beast Boy's proclamation of love, something inside of her must've overpowered her manners and hurled Beast Boy's plate at him in order to shut him up. Something exploded in her stomach as he and the rest of their teammates looked over at her.

"I've deduced the culprit of this heinous assassination attempt," Beast Boy spoke in his trademark stereotypical hard-boiled police detective voice. "Why did you do it, Raven? Who hired you?"

In spite of her racing heart and the storm of emotions sweltering in her stomach, Raven was an expert actress who was prepared for just about anything. "I...must've not been paying attention, though I never miss a good opportunity to shut you up." She curtly spat back at him as she stood from her chair and made her way to the exit.

She couldn't hear Beast Boy call out to her. "But what about your food?"

* * *

 _Nothing good will come of this._

Raven paced back and forth on the roof of the tower, uncertain if she should follow through with her plan of action. Starfire had requested to speak with her after the incident at dinner. What exactly she wanted was a mystery, but Raven was almost certain it had something to do with Beast Boy, which filled her stomach with a gnawing, pervading dread. Girl-talk was one of Starfire's hobbies and she had an uncanny ability to get even someone as guarded as Raven to open up.

 _I can't right now. She knows that I-_

"Raven?"

 _Damn._

"I desire to talk."

"I'm aware."

She sat on the edge of the roof and offered Raven a seat.

"Raven, I understand that emotions are a topic of extreme delicacy for you, however, if you comprehend everything I am about to explain to you, I believe you will like what I have to say, even if initially you do not believe so. I wish to help you with regarding your romantic feelings for our fellow teammate, Beast Boy."

"W-what?" And there it was. It made her chest tighten. Starfire was empathetic, but how exactly could she have pierced the veil of her expertly crafted facade? "What did- How did you know?"

With a reassuring smile, Starfire continued. "I only believed in its extreme probability until you confirmed my suspicion moments ago."

There was no turning back now. "What gave it away?"

Still with that reassuring smile on her face, Starfire continued, "To be in complete honesty with you, Raven, the two of you made it rather obvious. The way you two constantly seek solace and instantly forgive each other despite your intense bickering, how you both are angered by the prospect of the other forging a romantic relationship with another superhero."

Raven winced. "Oh, Azar…"

Starfire chuckled at Raven's blush. "And you both do quite a bit of that in immediate proximity to the other."

* * *

This will most likely be three or four chapters. Special thanks to Golem XIV for the encouragement.


	2. Chapter 2

Thinking about her affection for him drastically increased her level of anxiety, but bringing her feelings about Beast Boy into the open caused Raven's stomach to dance manically and she couldn't get the taste of gasoline out of her mouth.

"I understand that's how you think things are, but aren't guys supposed to do the asking in these cases?" Raven, an empath, had considered the possibility of probing Beast Boy's emotions in order to discover the nature of his feelings on numerous occasions, but she never scrounged up the courage to take the plunge. She was fairly certain he held her in some regard, but she also knew discovering the truth, regardless of outcome, would cause her to destroy everything within a five mile radius. "Beast Boy isn't exactly shy about letting me know how he feels about me. Or anything else."

Like a well-prepared legal defender, Starfire was ready with a response. "I fear that Beast Boy's regard for your friendship coupled with his knowledge of your delicate emotional state has precluded him from, how you say, making a move," She concluded with assured finality. "I do genuinely believe he desires a relationship with you, but he is too worried about your happiness to put his desire forth."

The dancing in Raven's stomach continued, but now it was more pleasant than unnerving. She tallied the possible justifications for Beast Boy's refusal to ask her out many times. The most obvious and painful was that he simply didn't feel that way about her. Worse, she wondered if perhaps her steady barrage of derision deterred him from developing those feelings in the first place. Starfire's assertion existed in the realm of possibility, but Raven knew better than to let hope fester in her psyche. "You say that like it's a fact." She used her index finger to toy with a lock of her hair.

Raven flinched slightly as Starfire gently gripped her shoulders and forced her gaze. The energy seeped off of her. "Raven, I understand the depth with which you feel for Beast Boy, and I assure you that I would not present this information to you if I did not believe in the certainty of it absolutely."

Unable to form a cogent retort, she turned her eyes to the fading sun giving a protracted goodbye before it would finally concede to night. Starfire admittedly had a bit of difficulty adapting to the customs of polite society, but Raven saw no reason to believe she would be lying or making some duplicitous effort at a practical joke, especially considering how close the two had become over the course of the past few years. "I...I guess you could be right."

Unable to suppress her excitement, Starfire flashed her radiant smile and wrapped her arms around her teammate. "Excellent!" Despite being subjected to Starfire's bear hug countless times, Raven could never quite get used to the near back-breaking strength with which she chose to express herself during intense bouts of happiness. "Now, we must prepare you for your big occasion."

Raven arched a quizzical eyebrow after being released from her super-humanly strong comrade. "I don't understand."

"We will start with a simple exercise. I will pretend to be Garfield, and you will pretend to express your feelings to me."

Raven's face reflexively contorted into a scowl. "You can't be serious."

Starfire reeled back in facetious indignation in an effort to legitimize her thespian facade. "Why must you always accuse me of such things, Rae? I, Garfield Logan, am capable of being serious at certain times, dude." She concluded with a tiny smile.

Raven gave a hefty sigh of resignation. This was going to be painful.

* * *

"We needed a healer like yesterday. Can you stop playing Winston for five minutes and be useful for once in your life?"

"Well, I'm not the one who plays Tracer all the time because he has the hots for her."

The following morning, as unpredictable as a sunrise, Raven found Cyborg and Beast Boy arguing over a video game and Beast Boy's unrepentant insistence on playing as the giant gorilla character. With a sense of rapidly mounting dread, Raven made her way to the two upon Starfire's suggestion. After a mercifully brief training session and a much needed night of slumber, she felt prepared to hurl herself into the unknown despite the knots in her stomach which became tighter as she approached the object of her affection.

The only flaw in Starfire's plan was that Cyborg was present, and there was absolutely no way she was going to humiliate herself in front of both of them. Her only hope was some sort of diversion from Starfire.

"Cyborg? I understand if now is an unfortunate time, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would instruct me in the techniques of driving."

He turned away from the television, squinting. "But you can fly. I don't think anyone actually _wants_ to drive, let alone people who don't have to."

"You are correct, but it would greatly assist in my understanding of human culture."

"I will never understand you flying types." Cyborg stood and the familiar _whirr_ of the door signaled that the two had made their exit, leaving Raven alone with Beast Boy and a newfound case of heart palpitations. He dismissed his game and turned his attention to Raven.

"Aren't we just so blessed with the ability of flight? It truly rules to be us."

She awkwardly shuffled over next to Beast Boy's spot on the couch. "Well, you're not wrong."

The normally insatiably talkative Beast Boy was uncharacteristically silent. It was almost as if he could sense that something terrible was going to happen very soon. The two remained surrounded by a sullen, painfully awkward silence before Beast Boy chose to shatter it. "So, Rae, it seems like something is on your mi-"

Before he could continue with an ice-breaking joke, Raven verified Beast Boy's assertion. "Beast Boy, right now I need you to just listen to everything I have to say, because I'm honestly not sure I'm courageous enough to ever say it again," Raven found Beast Boy extremely physically attractive, but the way his lips parted slightly and his eyes widened was incredibly, and she very rarely employed this word, adorable. "I like you. Wait, no, I mean I genuinely care for you. In the romantic sense," As she predicted, any hope of a coherent confession had been lost long ago. "I think you're sweet, attractive, and, yes, funny, and I've spent the better part of our friendship desperately hoping that you would reciprocate my feelings," She shut her eyes and winced. "And I don't want you to feel responsible for my well being if you don't. I don't want you to pretend to like me just to make me feel better, and-"

"Raven," She instantly halted herself to hear Beast Boy's response. "I'm sorry. I mean, I know you said not to interrupt and that's basically what I'm doing right now and continuing to do so with this convoluted explanation. Oh man," He pressed his palms to his eyes in an attempt regain some composure. "It's just that I really need you to know that I really, really like you as well. Like genuinely, I mean. And I've liked you since forever, if that makes sense. I was just terrified you would hurl me into the Pacific Ocean if you ever found out, so I kept my mouth shut for once in my life. Ridiculous, I know."

Typically, Raven would desperately hope the universe would shield Beast Boy's eyes from her blush, but she felt rather content with him having an audience to her burning cheeks at present. There was something wildly cathartic about having such a weight heaved off her shoulders. The fact that the boy she had been crushing on for years was finally admitting that he carried a similar affliction certainly added to that feeling. "Oh. Well, I'm glad to hear that." Was all she could muster as the totality of her mental faculties were presently attempting to quell the chaos in her stomach.

"And I'm sorry about that whole thing with Supergirl. If I can be honest, I thought I had a better shot with her than with you." He flashed Raven his classic toothy grin.

Raven couldn't suppress a smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

* * *

I will almost certainly have a final chapter soon.


	3. Chapter- 3

"I believe it is most excellent that you are willing to watch Star Wars with Beast Boy. Previously, any attempt of kindness in a similar fashion would earn him a sarcastic remark regarding his lack of intelligence."

"Star Trek, actually. Don't let him hear you confuse the two unless you want an hour long lecture on the significance of differentiating between two extremely similar moronic franchises."

Starfire was correct in her assertion. Sure, Raven and Beast Boy still bickered on a semi-consistent basis, but their year-long relationship had a number of incidental positive effects on Raven's daily life. She was more open to trying new things, no longer as painfully self-conscious, able to smile and even laugh more openly with her teammates, and generally able to hold a more jovial attitude in her day-to-day interactions. Certainly, the war still raged within, but the fact that she had developed the strength and willpower to kiss Beast Boy without blowing up a nearby object proved that her hope in Beast Boy and her own ability had been justified. She still blushed furiously and felt a platoon of butterflies invade her stomach each time they kissed, but progress was progress.

Despite that, she conceded that she was far from indomitable. She initially denied his request to accompany him to a screening of the latest Star Trek movie with a curt "absolutely not" only to have her fortitude crushed by his puppy dog eyes, the exact same tactic he used to cajole her into watching X-Men: Apocalypse a few months prior.

"C'mon, Rae, we're gonna be late and you know I hate missing previews. Making fun of how bad they are is the best part." The changeling stormed into the common room to usher Raven to the city. Rolling her eyes fondly, she stood from the couch, only to stop herself right before making her move. Not that long ago, she would've been far too uncomfortable to discuss her feelings for Beast Boy, but now she felt no such anxiety, especially when she considered her friendship with Starfire.

"Starfire, I just wanted to say thank you. You know, for helping me out with Beast Boy. I am in your debt, truly."

She flashed her classically radiant smile. "Think nothing of it, Raven. As my favorite human musical quadrant says: one gets by with a little help from his or her friends."

"Rae!"

* * *

"If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

Raven considered the query for a moment. "London."

"I knew it."

Beast Boy's insistence on avoiding tardiness had paid off as the two had arrived before the previews started and were able to get seats without a problem. He was clearly in good spirits as a result.

"And what about you?"

"Oh, no question: Los Angeles. Beautiful people, beautiful weather, and I can fly right over traffic," Beast Boy made an open palm and brought it across Raven's face to give her a proper demonstration of his flight capabilities. "Plus, if my acting career doesn't work out, I could always play for the Clippers."

Raven gave a small smile but found herself shivering as the breeze picked up. "I appear to have severely underestimated the intensity of this air condition system." She hugged her jacket closer to her body.

Beast Boy gave a mischievous smile. "Oh, are you cold? Then there's only one solution." He wrapped his arms around his petite girlfriend's stomach and brought her into his lap.

"What are you do-" Although Raven was never one to miss an opportunity to deride Beast Boy's behavior, she was ultimately halted by the wave of warmth that washed over her. She almost instinctively nestled her head onto her boyfriend's shoulder as she shuffled around to make herself more comfortable. Cuddling with Beast Boy, Raven felt, was most likely the closest approximation to 'pure bliss' anyone could ever achieve. It was like wrapping herself in a big, warm, fuzzy blanket that smelled delightful.

"Feel better?" He knew the answer to that question.

Raven nuzzled her face slightly in the crook of Beast Boy's neck. "I do." Immediately following that, she completed the absolute singularity of the moment by planting a gentle kiss on Beast Boy's lips. She had struggled for years to make peace with herself and her feelings for him, and now she knew all that pain had truly been worth the reward.

"I love you, Beast Boy."

Raven initially found it strange the way Beast Boy's eyes widened, but she could feel her own eyes jolt upon and her heart halt all function as soon as she fully comprehend precisely what her mouth had conveyed.

" _Excellent job, Raven, that's exactly what guys want to hear. This sure won't scare him off!"_ With her face practically burning, she mentally chastised herself as she scrambled to proffer a solution.

"I-I mean, what I mean to say," As expected, she tripped over her own jumbled words. "I didn't mean- I didn't mean to imply that-"

Before she could continue, her inarticulate justification of her proclamation of love was interrupted by a firm, passionate kiss from Beast Boy as he cupped her cheeks in his hands. The sensation of kissing someone as inhumanly attractive as Beast Boy was enough to help her forget about her blunder.

"I-I love you, too, Raven."

It was clear that they both carried a bit of timidity about the true nature of their feelings. In spite of that, Raven felt a massive grin force its way on to her face, though not before she made sure she hadn't brought the whole theater down.

"That's good to hear. I gu-"

The lights dimmed. Raven knew Beast Boy firmly believed in honoring theater etiquette, meaning that the two had to remain quiet. Before she could make her way back to her seat, however, Beast Boy leaned into her ear and whispered. "Wait, wouldn't it be more economical to share seats? I mean, we are superheroes, after all, and we have to make sacrifices for the greater good of humanity." His intensely bright smile shined through the dark of the theater as Raven returned to her intensely comfortable spot nestled in the radiant warmth of Beast Boy's arms. The two remained that way for the duration of the film.


End file.
